Royal Struggles
by calemra
Summary: Like her older sister Kalasin, Lianne of Conté has been forbidden to train for her shield. Unlike Kalasin, Lianne is going to fight back. Read and Review.
1. The Princess of Conté

Disclaimer: You've probably figured this out by now but here it goes anyway. Anything you see on here that is vaguely familiar belongs to the one and only Tamora Pierce. The plot and any of the characters you don't recognize belong to me. Simple, huh?

**Royal Struggles**

**Chapter 1: The Princess of Conte**

"Hold still now or it will come undone."

Lianne did as she was told, dropping a ribbon of her black, silky hair and returning her hands to her lap. She gazed straight ahead into the mirror and let out a soft sigh as her maid continued tugging her hair into place. There were a million places she would rather be.

At eleven years old, Lianne had inherited her mother's beauty, with soft features and a thin build. Her maid finished her hair and backed away, nodding her approval. Lianne took advantage of the space and stood abruptly, exiting the dressing room and entering her bed chamber.

She found herself drawn once more to the open letter on the nightstand by the bed. Taking it in her hands she read it over again, trembling at her renewed disappointment.

_Dearest Lianne,_

_ My darling sister, I understand how you are feeling at this moment. Indeed, I felt much the same way when father refused me the chance to pursue my training as a knight. But what you must realize is that, as royalty, we are pressed to think of the greater good. You must feel proud to have the chance to make a difference, to secure alliances, to ensure peace. Surely one girl's wishes are less important than all of Tortall! I know this may be hard to accept, but accept it you must. I am sure you will still find happiness in life as a princess, as I have with Kaddar. I send this letter with all of my love._

_Your loving sister,_

_Kalasin___

Lianne had hoped for some words of encouragement from Kally, and this reply had crushed those hopes. Live for the better good of Tortal? Perhaps that was fine for Kally, but Lianne had her dreams somewhere else.

"My lady, you must hurry or you shall be late." Latti, Lianne's overprotective maid and caretaker had appeared in the doorway.

"I know. I'm coming."

* * *

Lianne fidgeted and continued to rearrange her gown. The dark blue fabric with stormy grey trim might have looked nice, but it was hot on that balmy autumn evening. She knew her mother would have chastised her for not sitting still had she been there. As it was, Lianne had been seated with her oldest brother, Roald, and some of his friends from his knight training. Roald and his companions were deep in conversation, leaving Lianne free to gaze about the banquet.

Her mother and father were dining with an unfamiliar young man with short copped blond hair and stunning green eyes. He was dressed richly in fine crimson silk, well offset by his pale skin. _That must be the High Prince of Galla_, thought Lianne. _Prince Kalir_. He and his escort were visiting Tortall to renegotiate trade contracts. That meant long, boring talks followed by long, boring banquets. Lianne was quickly growing tired of all the formalities.

Her eyes moved next to the seat to the left of the price. A small, wiry man with shifty eyes sat there. He was surely an advisor, sent to aid the prince during the negotiations. _Because_, thought Lianne bitterly, _Mithros__ forbid royalty will make their own decisions_.

Lianne's focus snapped then to King Jonathon, her father, as he rose to his feet. The guests politely followed suit, standing, and then walking behind him as he made his way into the ballroom. Although her exterior remained composed, internally Lianne beamed. She was still young enough so as her father would allow her to leave formal gatherings after the dancing began. Lianne knew this privilege would not last much longer as she grew older, but she planned to take advantage of it while she could. She got to her feet, bid goodnight to her dinner partners, and returned to her rooms.

* * *

When Lianne left her rooms later that night she was dressed plainly in a white linen shirt and brown breeches. Wandering the long corridors of the castle, she was careful to avoid being seen. This task was not so difficult, for most people were still in the ballroom dancing. Lianne exited the castle and made her way to the outdoor practice courts. Normally at this time of night the courts would be deserted, but instead lit torches around the perimeter cast light on the faces of three first year pages.

"Took your time getting here didn't you Lianne?" said one voice.

"It's not like I wanted to be spending time with the adults. I got away as soon as I could." Lianne was noticeably more relaxed among these pages, her friends.

"At least you _did_ make it. We can't pair off evenly without you," said a second voice.

The first voice spoke up again, "Hurry up! Grab a staff – it's getting late."

Lianne was content moving through the rhythmic staff practice. Perhaps her father would not allow her to become a page, but with help of her friends she could still learn to fight. _I will be more than marriage bait to secure alliances,_ thought Lianne. _I am a warrior, and I will fight for my freedom._


	2. Friends

**Chapter 2: Friends**

Lianne stared at the window into the palace grounds below, where pages were filing into the royal stables. Three familiar heads were among the group: one brown, one dirty blonde, and one black like herself. A brisk hand on her shoulder spun her around so she could no longer see the window.

"Arms strait out now miss," Latti said. "How am I supposed to measure you if you're all slumped over like that?"

"But I'm tired of all these dresses and measurements. I'm tired of smiling and curtsying and trying to be polite. I just don't think I was meant to be born a princess."

Latti tutted softly at her complaints. "My lady, we've been through this already. You _are_ a princess, whether you like it or not. Besides, I would turn old and grey if I had to sit up here and worry about you being beaten and bruised by all those boys down there. You wouldn't want that now would you?"

"There are girls down there too," protested Lianne. She frowned for a moment, and then giggled. "And it wouldn't matter anyway – you're already old and grey."

"Run off now, you're too much for me as you are. Try to stay out of trouble though."

Lianne smiled at her maid's worries and skipped past to the door, pulling it open with a jolt. She would have the rest of the morning to herself now that the fitting was complete. She had nowhere to be until her dreaded dancing lessons that afternoon.

* * *

She sat on the topmost rung of the fence, watching closely as pages lined their horses up and took runs at the quintain. Lianne was careful to note the slightest movements of the pages: how they sat in the saddle, how they held their lances, how they approached the target. She was intent on memorizing the proper technique, that she might duplicate it on her own at a later date. So deep was her concentration that she failed to notice a small, golden haired page bring his horse up next to her.

"Princess Lianne, what turn of events brings you down to visit us this fine day?" he asked with mock seriousness. He half bowed from his saddle, causing his shaggy hair to fall over his face covering charismatic green eyes and freckled cheeks.

Lianne laughed and nearly fell backwards off the fence. "Stop that Bryn!" Then, in a more solemn tone, she added, "You had better get back to the quintains or Sir Arnoc will see you. It's best if you don't get in more trouble with him than you already have. There's simply not enough time in the day for you to deal with more punishment work."

Bryn made a face at her. "Since when are _you_ worried about getting in trouble? It was your idea to sneak out after hours so we could teach you weapons techniques. Oops, looks like Arnoc has noticed my absence. I must go see what he wants now. I'll see you at lunch." With those words he turned his mount back towards the practice courts and kicked him into a trot.

Lianne winced as she saw her friend met halfway with the knight Arnoc. The training master was not a large man, but he was fast and strong with a sword. Veins stood out on his arms when he was angry and his glare froze pages where they stood. He hated lack of discipline, and therefore Bryn felt his wrath more often than others. Lianne was relieved when a bell sounded to signify an end to the class and to release her friend from his lecture. She turned and jumped off the fence, landing neatly on the path that ran parallel to the practice courts.

"Watch out!" a voice behind her shouted.

Lianne spun around in time to see a large silver stallion thundering toward her. The rider managed to steer his mount to the right to avoid crashing into her, but as the pair galloped past they still managed to knock Lianne off balance. As she toppled over into the grass and lay there, she heard the hoof beats slow and come to a halt.

The young man dismounted and walked over to her, clearly worried. With an effort, Lianne pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked up at the man. She recognized him immediately: Prince Kalir.

"My lady! Princess Lianne, are you alright?" He sounded genuinely concerned.

"What? No. I mean yes. Yes I'm fine." Lianne stumbled over her words. Just when she thought she had momentarily escaped the confines of the palace, royalty ran into her. _Or at least I was fine until you came along_, she thought inwardly.

Kalir smiled warmly. "I'm glad. I was afraid I had hurt you. Come; allow me to escort you back to the palace. It is nearly time for lunch anyway."

_I would rather die_, she told herself venomously, and then felt quite ashamed of herself. This man was a guest of Tortall and had treated her with nothing but respect. Lianne had no reason to take her anger out against him. She smiled back at him as she climbed to her feet. "It would be a pleasure to walk with you."

When the two of them reached the corridor that led to her bedchamber, Lianne politely excused herself, claiming a need to wash up before lucnk. Prince Kalir bid farewell to her there as she slipped into the room, closing the door softly behind her. She waited until she was sure he had left, and then walked back into the hallway, alone. She turned and made her way quickly to the pages' dining hall where her friends would be waiting for her.

* * *

Lianne set her tray of food down beside a tall first year page with black hair and tanned skin – clearly showing his Bazhir heritage.

"Hey Payton. Where are the others?"

"The two of them are probably making trouble again." Payton's voice was warm and dark. "What did you expect?" When Lianne didn't respond he spoke again. "I suppose Queen Thayet has been keeping you busy."

"My mother hasn't been that bat, in fact, she's very sympathetic. It's Dad who's bothering me. It's not enough for him that I can't be a knight – I have to be a lady too. He just won't leave me alone. Every other word from him is 'a true princess wouldn't do this' or 'a lady should not talk like that.' I don't know what I would do if it wasn't for you guys being here for me. You're my only sanity." Lianne sighed and sat back in her chair.

Payton remained quiet, allowing her to finish her short tirade. It wasn't the first time all of Lianne's feelings toward her situation as a princess had spilled out over lunch. "If we are your only sanity then your situation is indeed dire," he noted sagely.

Bryn appeared on the scene abruptly. He was followed by Aideen, another of the pages. She was old for a first year page, having just turned thirteen the previous summer. Her curly brown hair was partially tamed into a long braid, but some strands had escaped to frame an olive tone face. She and Bryn sat down with their trays across the table from Lianne and Payton.

"We didn't keep you waiting too long I hope," whispered Bryn jokingly over the table before being interrupted by Sir Arnoc.

The training master's icy voice cut off all conversation in the dining hall. "Pages Brynnen and Aideen are to come and see me after they have finished their meals." He said nothing further on the topic, and instead he spoke the customary prayer to the gods that was a prelude to every meal. As soon as he had finished, conversation began anew.

"So what have you done to get on his nerves this time?" asked Lianne curiously, wishing she had been there to take part.

A mischevious grin spread across Bryn's features, but Aideen cut in before he could speak. "This one was _my_ idea," she said proudly. "You know how jumpy Sir Arnoc can be around cats? Well, I decided it was our duty as future knights of the realm to aid him in overcoming this weakness."

"So _I_ caught one of those cats that hang around the barn – that big orange one with white paws," continued Bryn. "We put this cat in his study earlier this morning, so when he returned there after teaching weapons lessons you can imagine the surprise he got."

"He kept muttering to himself afterward, something about evil pages and chaining children in the dungeons. But we know for a fact they hardly ever use the dungeons anymore, so we're probably safe," finished Aideen with a flourish.

The usually quiet Payton spoke up. "The two of you should be more careful," he cautioned. "Sir Arnoc is just waiting for his chance to get you kicked out and be done with you. These antics of yours give him just the ammo he needs."

"You worry too much, Payton. Besides, even if he tried, Arnoc couldn't get me kicked out. I am Brynnen Lotus Pajulien Drallon IV of Pearlmouth, I beg you to remember. _And_ my family is in the Book of Gold. I have no reason to fear for my position here at the palace."

"Brynnen Lotus? Hah! Bryn's named after a flower," chuckled Aideen, who then flinched as Bryn kicked her under the table. Lianne joined the fun momentarily but halted suddenly.

"My dancing lessons!" she started, and jumped to her feet. She waved a farewell and hurried out of the dining hall as fast as her feet could carry her. _Goddess, if father finds out I've been late again_ I'll _be the one chained in the dungeons._


	3. Midnight Rides

**Chapter 3: ****Midnight**** Rides**

Lit torches cast a soft flickering glow on the practice courts. The winter's first snow had fallen earlier that week, leaving a frosty, moonlit shimmer on grass blades and windowsills. The serenity of the scene would have been perfect had it not been for the steady, pounding rhythm of staffs hitting against one another. The thunking of the wood echoed in the stillness and was backed by four voices, breathing heavily.

"Let's take a break."

The other voices murmured in agreement. For a moment, all noise ceased and silence permeated the crisp night air. Three pages and a princess passed around a canteen of water, pausing to catch their breath.

"I'm tired of all this," said Bryn at last, now breathing normally. "Everyday it's the same routine, classes and lessons one after the other, and then we just continue the same torture at night. Let's do something different for once."

Payton took a long draught from the canteen before passing it to Lianne. "And just what is it that you suggest?"

"An adventure."

Four heads turned to stare at Aideen, waiting for her to expound on this idea. "What kind of adventure could we possibly have in the middle of the night without waking the entire palace up?" prodded Lianne.

"Who said it had to be in the palace?" The attention turned once more to Bryn. He continued, "If we just went for a little ride nobody would even notice we've gone. We can jump the fence in the back pasture to get around the guards. It's a foolproof plan."

"Then it's settled," concluded Lianne decisively, all too ready to leave the palace. Under a moonlit sky, four friends put away their staffs and walked through shallow snow toward the stable.

* * *

In the darkness Lianne fumbled to tighten the buckles of her mare's saddle. Naryl had a dark, cloudy grey coat that appeared almost black in the shadows of the stable. Lianne finished quickly and led her horse out into the moonlight where she was soon joined by her friends. The mounted in silence – the stables were situated very near the palace, and too much noise would certainly wake its occupants.

The four nudged their horses into a trot as they got further from the palace, being led by Bryn to the back fence. His mount, a brown stallion named Kall was normally just as much of a trouble maker as Bryn; Lianne thanked the Goddess that both were quiet for the moment so their escape would go unnoticed. As the group drew nearer to the back fence, the horses were pushed into a rolling canter. One at a time they each cleared the fence. When Lianne's turn came, Naryl sailed easily over the top, landing lightly on the other side. Lianne became giddier with her new found freedom with every step that took her away from the palace. No more was she caged as royalty. Riding off into the woods with her friends, she was free to be a normal eleven year old girl.

The friends slowed their mounts up to a walk. "I knew we could pull it off!" exclaimed Bryn, his excitement building. "Where shall we go now, my fearless escapees?" Almost immediately he and Aideen launched into conversation, planning further escapades.

Lianne started to join in, but stopped as she noticed Payton falling behind, staring off into the forest with distant eyes. She too, slowed, bringing Naryl to walk beside him.

"It sure is beautiful out here." She looked around at the scenery. The pale moon glow bathed the trees in blue light. The horses made crunching noises while they walked, leaving hoof prints on frozen sparkling leaves.

She turned to him with concern. "What's wrong?"

Payton avoided her eyes, turning to look in the opposite direction. When Lianne did not leave, he finally spoke, softly at first. "What's the use of this? Sure we're having fun now, having great adventures, but we are putting our training in jeopardy. Bryn may talk big about his family being able to rescue him from trouble, but a few politics won't stop Sir Arnoc for long. If we keep this up we'll all be kicked out of the palace for good."

"Except me," said Lianne bluntly. "I'm a _princess_. I can't be a page and Mithros forbid I try to fight."

"You can't blame us for that," said Payton, his voice growing steadily louder. "And now you don't have anything to lose, right? It doesn't matter to you if you get your friends in trouble as long as you are having fun. You're never the one that gets loaded with punishment work and you won't be sent home in dishonor if we're caught sneaking out! Is this all some game for you, playing with our futures?"

Lianne brought Naryl to a halt, appalled by what she had just heard. Payton was always the honest one, but she had never expected this. "That's not what I'm doing at all," she protested weakly, blinking to fight back a sudden onslaught of tears. "You guys are my best friends – I would never try to hurt you. This ride wasn't even my idea!"

Payton kept his horse moving, looking back over his shoulder at his friend. "But you could have stopped it."

This was all too much for Lianne. She turned Naryl to the right, tiking off at a gallop deeper into the forest, tears streaming down her face.

* * *

When Lianne finally slowed Naryl back to a walk, she had lost her bearings completely. _Not that it mattered_, she thought vehemently. _Her friends didn't really care about her anyway._ It hadn't been her idea to go riding in the forest. In fact, few of the groups' many small rebellions had been her idea. Bryn was the true mastermind; if Payton wanted someone to rant at it should have been him!

But she had requested that the pages teach her how to fight. The four of them would not have even been outside that night if it hadn't been for her. Why did Payton put all the responsibility on her? That was the way it always happened – everything was always her fault. She wasn't the perfect princess or the perfect daughter or the perfect friend. She was never good enough for anyone.

Lianne was so caught up in her troubles that she failed to hear the rustling of bushes to her left. Naryl obviously sensed some danger for her eyes shifted from side to side and her ears twitched uncontrollably. Without warning she reared, swiping the air in front of her with her forelegs. Lianne was caught off guard and fell backwards, landing hard in the frosted leaves. When she pulled herself to her feet Naryl was gone and she was face to face with a sneering spidren.


	4. Rescue

**Chapter 4: Rescue**

An eerie scream pierced the stillness of the forest, causing three riders to pull their mounts to a halt. Aideen yanked her knife from its sheath, swiveling her head side to side, searching for the origin of the noise. Her pulse was racing and her bones were aching in anticipation of a possible battle. This was why she had truly become a page – to fight, to defend herself and others. The little pranks she pulled were nothing compared to the thrill of battle.

In a flurry of hoof beats a grey mare pounded out of the shadows, coming to a halt on the path in front of the riders. The horse was breathing heavily and her wide, fearful eyes were indicative of looming danger.

Bryn was the first to identify the mare. "Naryl? But then where's Lianne?" He and Aideen looked frantically but saw no sign of their friend, whom they had last seen moments prior.

"She went off in that direction," said Payton with confidence, pointing into the forest to his right.

"But why would she just run off? How can you be sure?" asked Bryn, obviously confused.

"It doesn't matter." Aideen was clearly eager for battle, and also at this point worried about her friend, giving her double the initiative to rush into the forest in the direction Payton had indicated. "We all heard the scream. We have to hurry – Lianne might be in danger!" Unknowing of how true her prediction was, and with her hand gripped firmly around the hilt of her knife she urged her horse off the moonlit path and into the dark cover of the trees.

Bryn shot a confused, questioning look at Payton, who said nothing in response. Both pages grabbed for their own weapons: Bryn had a knife similar to Aideen and Payton fingered his longbow. Without further preparation they too turned their horses into the woods, following Aideen's lead.

_We should have done something about Naryl_, thought Payton, remembering that they had left the mare standing on the path. He hoped they would find her again later, or that she would have enough sense to return to the stables unassisted. His worry for Lianne was combined with the guilt of knowing that, had he not confronted her, she would not be in trouble. Immediately Payton shook his head, violently trying to rid himself of such thoughts, the likes of which would leave him distracted and vulnerable in battle. A full blooded Bazhir, Payton had been raised around discipline and fighting.

In silent urgency, the three pages combed the forest looking for their friend.

* * *

Lianne's first reaction when she saw the spidren was to scream. The spidren's head was that of a slightly older man with graying hair and wicked, bloodshot eyes. He reeked of death and evil. In one hand he carried a small sword, which he pointed ruthlessly at her. Lianne forced herself to conquer her overwhelming terror, pushing herself to her feet to face the immortal squarely. _This is my chance to prove myself_, she told herself as she straightened. _I can show my father that I'm just as good as any of the pages._

"What's a tasty little morsel like you doing alone at this time of night?" The spidren's voice had a rough, grainy edge to it.

Up until then, Lianne had been able to retain at least some composure, but even that faded upon the awful realization that she was unarmed. While most pages carried belt knives, as a princess she had been unable to arm herself without her father's firm disapproval. _Even that won't stop me if I get out of here alive_, Lianne thought. She panicked, backing away from the monster until her back came in contact with something hard and rough: a tree.

"Don't run from me little one. There is no escape from death."

"You wouldn't dare hurt a princess of Tortall!" she shouted back. "My father will have you and your kind hunted until the end of time." Lianne clasped her hand over her mouth, realizing her grave mistake. Most assuredly the immortal would see her identity as extra incentive to kill or capture her. Possession of a king's daughter could indeed be a strong point in making bargains.

A grin spread across the spidren's barbaric features. He gave no verbal response, but began creeping towards her. He lunged forward with his sword, and only Lianne's quickness enabled her to duck under his attack. Just as she had started contemplating her chances of fleeing safely, the immortal's attention was taken from her. It turned its focus to three pages who had suddenly emerged from the trees opposite her and who were brandishing daggers at it. The moment Lianne recognized her friends she was filled once more with courage.

The horses were shuffling nervously in the spidren's presence, anxiously awaiting an opportunity in which to escape. Payton must have taken note of the fact, for Lianne saw him whisper a word to the other two, then all three dismounted. Lianne could do nothing but watch helplessly as Bryn and Aideen approached the immortal with their daggers, looking terribly inexperienced as they headed into their first true battle. Aideen was the first to reach the monster; the bloodthirsty smiles on the two faces were matched perfectly. Her eyes were locked on the short sword that was being waved at her. Rusty as it was, the weapon was still sharp and perfectly lethal. Aideen's first trust was parried easily, with a lazy stroke that seemed as if the spidren had just been toying with her. She changed her grip on her knife and lunged again, this time avoiding her opponent's strike to score a hit on its hairy body.

Bryn had used that time to circle unnoticed to the spidren's other side, near where Lianne was standing. He winked casually at her before diving in on the attack, working to draw the spidren's attention from Aideen. The two pronged attack worked amazingly well, ensuring that neither of the pages were in harm's way for too long. Lianne found herself watching the battle with a keen eye, wishing she could join her friends in their fighting and thoroughly not enjoying the role of a helpless lady. Her sight was drawn then to movements away from the battle, where she noticed for the first time where Payton had stepped off to the side. He had strung his bow and was aiming an arrow at the attacking spidren. His first shot flew narrowly wide, burying itself deeply in a tree with a resounding thud. The second arrow he released found its target in the immortal's left eye. An ear-splitting scream shook the forest, and then silence took over, ironically serene after the violence that had just ended.

"Great Mithros," said Bryn, apparently in shock. All his friends could do was nod in agreement. The profound effects of battle and closeness to death had not yet taken control of their thoughts.

Lianne was the next to break the stillness. "I'm _so_ sorry. If I hadn't run off none of this would have happened. It's my fault we were –"

"No _I'm_ sorry," Payton interrupted. "I shouldn't have been so angry with you." The sorrowful look in his dark eyes begged for forgiveness.

"Both of you shut up!" Aideen was certainly not in the mood for mushy apologies; her veins were still pumping with the adrenalin of battle. "If we don't hurry and get back to the palace now, we'll all be sorry. Look – the sky is getting lighter and it's almost dawn." Indeed, the once black night sky was fading to grey and gaining feathery touches of pink that shone down through the trees. Lianne caught Payton's eyes as they walked toward the horses, shrugging in defeat.

"I hope the two of you will kindly relate to the rest of us when we get out of this mess what exactly is going on," Bryn stated with a casual, business-like air. "Not that I'm worried about getting in trouble, of course. I _am_ Brynnen Lo-"

"Shut up," said Aideen dryly. Lianne giggled.

On the short trip back to the palace, Lianne was too distracted by her planning to notice Payton's apologetic glances toward her, or when they found Naryl waiting patiently upon their return to the path. Oblivious to the fact that she had certainly gotten her friends and herself in trouble, she was searching her brain for the best way to go about learning to handle weapons. She wanted to _really_ fight, not mess around with staffs like she had been doing. There were plenty of people she could turn to: she could try convincing the combat teachers at the palace, or even the Lady Knights Alanna and Keladry if they happened to be around. When the four friends exited the forest near the stable, Lianne still had not been able to come up with a definite plan, but she knew she would do something. She promised silently never again to let others fight to protect her, not when she was going to learn to do it herself.


	5. Consequences

**Chapter 5: Consequences**

Lianne trudged down the long corridors of the palace in silence, anticipating nothing but the worst possible outcome. It was the early hours of the morning following the spidren incident, and she had been summoned to see her father in his meeting room. King Jonathon would certainly know of her exploits in the forest. The whole palace knew, in fact, for many palace servants had been awake just before dawn and were witnesses to three pages and a princess riding out of the woods, smeared with spidren's blood. But although Lianne knew her father would be angry with her, she feared more for her friends than for herself.

All too soon Lianne found herself standing at the foot of a large heavy door patterned with an interesting weave of gold and silver. She unknowingly lifted one hand to trace the designs as the inwardly worked to prepare herself for the battle to come. It would be similar to every other battle she fought with her father, a war of words often ending in another lecture of how, as a princess she was honor bound to uphold her duty to Tortall. Father and daughter always infuriated one another in these ways. Lianne turned her face sideways to make eye contact with the herald standing to the side of the door. She gave him a small nod, indicating that he was to announce her. He swung the door open and disappeared behind it, reappearing a moment later. He held the door open and motioned Lianne through with a graceful sweep of his arm.

"The king will see you now," he said in a polite tone. Lianne merely nodded in acknowledgement. She entered the room with precise steps, her face masking nervous thoughts. King Jonathon stood with his back to her, his gaze directed out a window that overlooked the royal gardens.

She dipped in a graceful, practiced curtsy. "Father? You wished to speak with me?" Her voice was one of complete innocence.

The king turned then, his blue eyes moving as if measuring up an opponent. Those eyes spoke of anger and some other emotion. Perhaps it was disappointment. He let fall a soft sigh but said nothing, waiting patiently until Lianne felt obliged to speak again, if only to break the silence.

"You can't be surprised that I rebel sometimes," she started, dropping her naïve air. "It's your own fault, bottling me up like you do. If you had let me train as a page, or even learn to fight at all, I wouldn't be forced to resort to searching for adventures in the dead of night."

"You could have been killed!" said her father with conviction. "Don't you understand, especially now, that fighting is not a game. You were gambling with your life last night. Did you even stop and think what might have happened if your friends hadn't rescued you, or if there had been more than one spidren?"

"If I were able to fight I could have saved _myself_," retorted Lianne.

The king was growing visibly angrier. "Your sister never fought me like this. She accepted my word as final. If you were only to stop throwing these childish tantrums you too could see the wisdom in my decision. A princess does not go running through the forest looking for fights. A princess does not drag her friends into life threatening situations!"

"My friends!" exclaimed Lianne, interrupting her father's rant. "What will happen to them?"

Her father looked at her strangely. "I suspect Sir Arnoc will be dealing with them. It is not of my concern the severity of their punishment." Lianne cringed, thinking of what her friends might be put through, possibly at that very moment. She had seen enough of their training master, even from a distance, to know that he was not a man to be messed with. Payton's words were buzzing in her head: '_It doesn't matter to you if you get your friends in trouble as long as you are having fun_.' She clinched her teeth, determined to prove him wrong.

"But what if I said it was my fault?" she asked suddenly.

"What?" Her father was clearly startled.

"You are always encouraging me as a princess of Tortall to take responsibility for my actions," she continued. "Well, you can be happy, for I am taking responsibility here. The trip into the forest was my idea – I told them to come. Sir Arnoc cannot punish them now, for I made them do it." In her heart she knew that only her father could save her friends from punishment, but she hoped this confession would be enough to convince him to do so.

King Jonathon thought the suggestion over. "Then you are willing to receive their punishments for them?"

Lianne swallowed, and then nodded decisively. Although she was frustrated at having lost the battle with her father and being forced to act the 'good princess,' she was glad to have done something to help her friends. After all, she owed them for the many nights they had crept out of their rooms and down to the practice courts to teach her staff fighting.

"Then I suppose the next order of business is what exactly your punishment shall be," he started, but was cut off. At that moment the door swung open and the herald stepped through.

"Sire, the High Prince Kalir of Galla wishes an audience with you."

The king turned briefly to his daughter. "Lianne, we will finish this conversation at a later date." He then returned his attention to the herald saying, "Very well. You may send him in."

Lianne hurried out of the room, smiling at the good fortune that had temporarily saved her from punishment. As she passed through the doorway on her way out, she nearly ran into Kalir as he was entering. He was gone as quickly as he had appeared, but she could have sworn that he had winked at her. _Had he meant to rescue me from my father?_ Lianne's head was swimming as she raced down the hallway back toward her rooms.

* * *

Several nights later the four friends met in Aideen's room to work on studying for their classes. Although Lianne did not take classes with the pages, she did have lessons of her own and provided help wherever she could. In the days following their midnight ride, the pages questioned Lianne relentlessly as to why they had received no punishments. Lianne kept her mouth shut concerning the deal she had made with her father, and she told her friends only that they should be happy with their luck.

The four were situated on the floor with papers and books spread chaotically about, when two girls of about sixteen poked their heads through the doorway. One was tall and thin, with curly brown hair similar to Aideen's. Lianne had seen her on several previous occasions and knew her as Cassi, Aideen's sister. She had never seen the Cassi's companion before though, but she assumed that she was another young lady who had studied at the convent, preparing to be presented at court. Aideen had often expressed disgust at her sister's wish to be a proper lady, to raise children with a good husband. Both newcomers threw themselves onto Aideen's bed, giggling uncontrollably.

"You would never believe who we just passed in the hall," started Cassi with an enthusiastic grin.

"Prince Kalir!" exclaimed the second girl joyously. She was of medium height with long lashes and straight blond hair.

Aideen leaned over to whisper in Lianne's ear. "That's Erinn, my sister's friend."

Cassi squealed. "Isn't he the most amazing man? And to think, he's only seventeen." At this point Payton and Bryn were gathering their books and heading toward the door, obviously frightened by the squealing girls.

"You're very lucky, you know," said Erinn, turning to Lianne as the door slammed behind the boys. "I'm sure as the princess you get to spend plenty of time with him!"

Lianne had to admit that she, too, was feeling slightly uncomfortable. She had never understood the ladies at court and how they swooned at the very sight of an unmarried man. Although she had to admit he was very handsome. _What's happening to me?_ Lianne thought. _Next thing you know I could start giggling along with them!_ She blinked rapidly to try and clear her mind. She never answered Erinn as to how much time she got to spend with Prince Kalir. Instead, she excused herself with the utmost politeness and followed the boys from the room. As she was leaving Lianne saw Aideen shoot her a look that begged her not to leave her alone with the ladies, but she did not turn back.


	6. Two Princesses

**Chapter 6: Two Princesses**

Two days before the Midwinter festivities had begun, Lianne finally had an idea as to how she would train as a warrior. She could have kicked herself for not seeing a plan this simple earlier, and it was one which her father could not object to. She had been unable to enlist the aid of either of the lady knights, for the war in Scanra, although beginning to let up was still going on. It had become difficult to find any knights in the palace.

_But _this_ plan will certainly work_, Lianne told herself with assurance. She moved along the palace corridors that afternoon with long, bounding strides. With each step she grew more and more confident in her plan, until she stopped in front of a door. Pausing just a second to catch her breath, Lianne rapped softly on the door with her knuckles.

"Who's there?" called out a voice from inside.

"Lianne."

"Of course! Do come in." As the door swung open Lianne stepped inside, greeted by a young lady with golden skin and smiling eyes. She was dressed Yamani fashion in a pale yellow kimono embroidered with flowers.

"It is a pleasure to see you," said Princess Shinkokami brightly. Lianne returned her greeting and moved over to the far wall, where a Yamani practice glaive was hanging. Her eyes moved up and down the deadly weapon, thirsting for its power.

Shinko's voice called Lianne back to reality. "Why do I seem to think you came here for more than my company?" Shinko asked with a hint of laughter.

Lianne turned to face the other princess. "I wouldn't suppose you would have an extra of these? I would love to learn glaive fighting, that is, if you would be willing to teach me." Lianne was recalling how her mother, the quean, had learned the art of glaive fighting during the Progress when Shinko had first come to Tortall, and she longed to do the same. This was the one form of fighting her father could never forbid her to do, for his own wife and his son's wife both took part in it.

"I would be glad to teach you, Li," answered Shinko. 'Li' had always been her nickname for the younger princess. "I'll see to it that you have your own practice glaive made. Until then, would you care to learn how to play fan toss?" Shinko grabbed a blue silk fan from the dresser and offered it to her friend.

Lianne hesitated, for she knew the Yamani shukusen to have razor sharp edges.

Shinko must have noticed her uncertainty, for she laughed, an uncommon action for the reserved Yamani. "Don't worry. This fan hasn't been sharpened yet. Roald would not appreciate it if I chopped his little sister's hands off. Come on, its easy once you get used to it."

Lianne accepted the fan and followed Shinko into the palace gardens. _A warrior makes use of all weapons_, she thought to herself.

* * *

As the first day of Midwinter arrived, Lianne already found herself regretting the punishment she had agreed to take in place of her friends. She would not have complained had her father put her to manual labor, but these consequences had begun to wear her down. The king had taken away her privilege of skipping the parties following royal occasions, and that meant she would have to attend. The worst part was that attending meant dancing and socializing and being courteous. Furthermore, Lianne had been warned that it was not to be the end of her punishment. _Isn't it enough_, she asked herself, _that I have to act like a princess?_

Latti entered Lianne's room without knocking, holding in her plump hands a dress of crimson silk. Lianne's eyes narrowed to a glare as the dress was laid out across her bed. She pictured herself refusing it and ordering her maid out, but changed her mind at the last second.

"Go on now," Latti urged. "Change into it. I'll be back in a moment to make sure it fits right."

Lianne obeyed the request without question, clearly resigned to her fate. To the eleven-year-old eyes the dress fit quite well, but her maid seemed to disagree, using pins to mark places where the fabric hung loosely and needed to be taken up.

"That hurts," said Lianne calmly as the point of one pin found her pale skin through the thin fabric. "You shouldn't poke it so hard." _Not that I should be complaining_ thought Lianne dismally. She knew knights like Alanna and Keladry put up with much more than pin pricks without protest.

Latti chose not to respond, and only long practice kept the maid from smiling at her charges feeble complaints. "Be sure to wear one of your thicker shifts under this tonight. It would be quite a disappointment for my lady to catch cold and miss the Midwinter celebrations." The gentle tease made the princess's mood even more abysmal. Latti knew well that Lianne would risk illness to escape the festivities, and she gave her a sharp glance to discourage those thoughts. With quick thinking she changed the subject.

"When are you to start glaive lessons, my lady?"

Lianne, quite startled by the question, blinked rapidly. "Where did you hear I was taking glaive lessons?" Lianne felt herself panicking. Although she was confident that her father could not stop her, she knew better than to push her luck by letting him know too soon, especially after the spidren encounter. If she made him angry enough the king could sometimes act rashly, and the last thing Lianne wanted was more punishment like the ordeal she was to be put through.

Contrary to Lianne's expectations, Latti frowned in confusion. "Why else would you keep a practice glaive in your room if you weren't planning to use it?"

"You won't tell anyone will you?" _Especially not my father?_ Lianne was feeling both relieved and foolish for not realizing that her glaive, which had arrived earlier that morning, was leaned against the wall in plain sight. She worked with her maid to ensure her lessons were kept secret. "Not yet at least. Just give me a little time."

Latti was accustomed to Lianne's tricks by now and, seeing as this one was harmless, she decided to let it go. "No, your secret's safe with me." Inside she felt glad, for even though she was not being entirely loyal to the king, Latti had long thought Lianne should learn to fight.

The princess smiled and nodded her thanks. Seeing as how her maid had stopped poking her with pins, she figured the fitting session was finished. She slipped out of the silk dress, careful not to be pricked any more than she already had. Finally out of the restraining fabric, she sought the freedom of breeches and a tunic, both in shades of silver gray. She turned to the mirror, picked up a brush, and began taming her hair that she might be able to tie it back out of her face.

"Don't forget to meet me back here immediately following lunch. There will be much to be done to prepare you for tonight," Latti reminded her. Getting no response, the maid picked up the dress and swept out the door.

* * *

Lianne glided and spun lightly on her feet, guided by the strong hands of her partner. Her violet dress flared beautifully as she danced, giving the appearance that she was floating through the air. When she looked up into her partner's face he smiled at her, and she did her best to smile back, for the sake of diplomacy. As the music ended and the dancing ceased he bowed gracefully to her and brushed his lips against her hand.

"It was a pleasure dancing with you, princess."

"And you, Prince Kalir." Lianne worked to hide the tremble of anger in her voice. It was the third time that night the two had danced together, and she was beginning to tire of his flirtatious air. From their previous conversations that night she had realized it was not by chance that he had happened to walk in on her discussion with her father. Did he think he was saving her? Since when did she need rescuing from anyone, especially her father? He obviously though she was just another helpless princess. _That just gives me more reason to learn to fight,_ she thought. _I can prove him wrong along with everyone else. If, that is, these parties don't kill me first._

She walked out of the ballroom onto a balcony to escape the conversation. She had been exposed to too much talking during dinner earlier that evening, when she had been seated with her father, the Gallan advisors, and select Tortallan nobles. She now found herself knowing more about current politics in the realms than she ever had wanted. That was probably just another part of her punishment, she realized morosely. In the fresh winter air on the balcony, she found herself gazing up at the night sky, which was dotted with stars. It was almost midnight, and the party had not yet begun to end.

"Is it that bad?"

The sudden voice behind her made Lianne jump and spin around to face the speaker. "Oh! It's you, Shinko. You shouldn't sneak up on me like that."

"Are you all right?" she asked again. She smiled sympathetically at her friend. "We should just leave. No one would notice anyway, and we could come back in a little while."

The idea shocked Lianne: Shinkokami was never rebellious. After recovering from her surprise though, she found the suggestion very enticing. "I just hope my father doesn't find out," she said with a grin. _But if he does I don't care,_ she told herself. The two princesses walked back into the crowded ballroom. Shinko had been right – with all of the people there, two less would make no difference. They slipped out through a side door that was used only by servants, making their way slowly until they were outside.

"I think tomorrow morning would be a grand time for your first glaive lesson, Li," said the Yamani princess as the two walked side by side. "We can meet at the inside practice courts a little after dawn if that's okay with you."

"Of course it is," said Lianne with excitement. With all of the torture of Midwinter celebrations, learning to fight would be the bright side of her days. All too soon Shinko suggested it was time to return to the ballroom, and although Lianne preferred to stay outside, she returned so as not to distress her friend. She counted herself lucky though, for by the time they had reentered the crowd, the party was ending and guests were returning to their rooms.

As Lianne sunk into her bed that night, she was relieved to have survived even the first day of Midwinter. She wished her friends were at least second and third year pages, so that she might see them while they served food. As first year pages they were kept in the back to hand platters of food to other pages. She worried for Bryn and Aideen, hoping that they would not be so foolish as to attempt any of their tricks during the festivities. Although thoughts were still running through her head, exhaustion eventually got the better of Lianne as she drifted to sleep.


End file.
